


something lost, something found

by sunset_oasis



Series: Drabbles of the Black Widow [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Regulus didn't die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 23:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10751661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_oasis/pseuds/sunset_oasis
Summary: Maybe he should've just thrown himself back into the lake of Inferi and let them kill him, but that was stupid, especially after how he'd barely escaped from it moments ago. Still, since he was dying now, maybe he should just quickly get it over with…His mind somehow, involuntarily, to a person who probably wouldn't turn him down seeing him half-dead. But he didn't want to go seek help with an ex-girlfriend he'd pushed away after deciding his Death Eater career might be too dangerous for her. Plus, if both the Dark and Light side would see him as enemy soon, he couldn't endanger her like that. Not her. Not ever. Anyway, he knew that Sybill probably wasn't the expert at healing magic anyway.Options. He was quickly running out of them. Not that he had much in the beginning.





	something lost, something found

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Regulus wasn't sure how he'd made out of the whole mess alive.

No, scratch that.

He _still_ wasn't sure if he could make it through all this alive, considering that he felt half-dead now, and would probably be dead soon, if he didn't get some medical attention quickly. The problem was, he didn't know where to go for help. He couldn't go back home as his mother was there right now – how would he explain things to her? He definitely couldn't go to St. Mungo's, as he was a Marked Death Eater. He couldn't ask the other Death Eaters for help either, not after what he'd done to the Dark Lord's Horcruxes, as it would probably get back to the Dark Lord's ears to find him in such a state and suspicions would arise.

Maybe he should've just thrown himself back into the lake of Inferi and let them kill him, but that was stupid, especially after how he'd barely escaped from it moments ago. Still, since he was dying now, maybe he should just quickly get it over with…

His mind somehow, involuntarily, to a person who _probably_ wouldn't turn him down seeing him half-dead. But he didn't want to go seek help with an _ex-girlfriend_ he'd pushed away after deciding his Death Eater career might be too dangerous for her. Plus, if both the Dark and Light side would see him as enemy soon, he couldn't endanger her like that. Not her. Not ever. Anyway, he knew that Sybill probably wasn't the expert at healing magic anyway.

Options. He was quickly running out of them. Not that he had much in the beginning.

Wait … there was someone. They were friends – well, sort of. She was a few years ahead of him. She'd tried to seduce him because he was a _Black_ , and while he couldn't deny that she was incredibly charming and breathtakingly beautiful, he hadn't fell for her like more than half of his classmates had. And somehow, they'd become friends after that.

He definitely enjoyed a lot more being Gabriella Zabini's friend than being her … target.

She was neutral, neither on the Dark side or the Light side. Determinedly neutral. Always had been. And despite being neutral, she also had enough connections on both sides to keep herself safe. Also, he knew she had wide range of collection of potions, from deadly lethal to those that could save lives. It was probably his best bet – only bet, actually – now.

He hoped she still lived at the address she last sent a Christmas card from. And he hoped he wouldn't drain what little energy he had by apparating …

 

* * *

 

Gabriella Zabini raised an eyebrow at him when she opened the door. He tried to open his mouth to explain, but just choked out some blood. She stopped him from talking, and quickly pulled him inside onto the sofa while she did some spells to mend his wounds and summoned a few healing potions.

"I –"

"Drink," she cut short his attempt to talk. "You can explain later. I'm not going to let you die on me."

He downed the potions gratefully, while she continued, "Honestly, if you'd been planning on dying, you should at least tell me first, so I can marry you."

He wanted to retort something, or at least roll his eyes at her, but he felt too tired to do so. And his eyelids were feeling heavier and heavier, he was beginning to suspect she added something to the potions …

 

* * *

 

Regulus woke up to the sound of two women talking. He slowly – painfully – pushed himself up and blinked at the sight before him. "Rita Skeeter?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He'd heard of the woman before, she worked as a columnist at the Daily Prophet. He turned to glare at Gabriella, "You invited a _journalist_?!"

"Relax, kid," Rita Skeeter drawled, "we're off the record. Besides, this is also _my_ apartment."

"Oh," he blinked. "I didn't know you're flatmates –"

"More than that, actually," Rita waved her hand airily. "But that's irrelevant for now."

"So, Regulus," Gabriella sat down on a chair beside the sofa, "what happened to you?"

He began to speak but coughed slightly at first. Then, finally, he asked, "Off the record?"

"I could also plant a fake story in the Prophet for you if you want. Those usually sells better anyway," Rita shrugged indifferently. Regulus was beginning to see why these two women liked each other – completely honest about their lack of interest in following the society morals, he suspected.

Still, horcruxes weren't something he wanted to mention. But he could say that he defected, he supposed. And maybe he could have them fake his death for him as well. Then nobody would be looking for him. He could flee to somewhere far away, the States, maybe, or Australia? Get a new identity and everything, not coming back at least until someone destroyed Voldemort completely.

It wasn't like he had much reason to stay in Britain. Most of his friends were Death Eaters, and he couldn't afford to contact them. Most of his family … same. As for Sirius … Sirius had left – _abandoned_ , he thought bitterly – him long ago and probably wanted nothing to do with him.

His thoughts wandered to Sybill again and he forced himself to move away from the subject because it wasn't like he could let her know he was still alive, it wasn't as if they were still together, and damn he _didn't_ want to endanger her. Not ever.

"So … long story short, I defected …" he began weakly, "and I think I might need your help to … spread some false news about my death, maybe, while I escape Britain for a while."

 

* * *

 

Two weeks later, he was arriving Sydney, Australia through an airplane. Apparently, Gabriella's contacts extended to the Muggle world too, and she'd managed to use the money he'd secretly gotten out of the Black family vault to forge the needed documents. She'd also taken quite a portion of the Galleons from the vault when they'd travelled to Gringotts in disguise, and he hadn't bothered to stop her. He owed her that, he thought.

It was time to start a new life and forget the past.

 

* * *

 

_(Three months later.)_

He couldn't believe his eyes. He was certain he must be hallucinating – and yet –

As Regulus sat down at his usual table at the restaurant he used to visit for lunch, he froze. The woman at the next table looked up slowly from her teacup, and stared right into him, and even though Regulus had changed his appearances after coming to Australia, the look she gave him told him that she recognized him –

And Sybill Trelawney murmured – "So that's what the crystal ball meant when it said I'd find something I lost by visiting Australia."

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: ff-sunset-oasis.tumblr.com


End file.
